Holiday at the Onsen
by SexyGhirardelliMmmm
Summary: Military outing to the hot springs during Christmas break. Roy feels something is missing in his life, and Ed ponders how to confess his affection for the colonel without hurting his dignity.


Christmas with Roy and Ed 

Dedicated to **Kiwi**, my awesome study buddy :

Summary: Military outing to the hot springs during Christmas break. Roy feels something is missing in

his life, and Ed ponders how to confess his affection for the colonel without hurting his

dignity.

A/N: This is, I have to admit, my first ficlet and I would love to receive reviews (compliments and criticism are both welcome) so I can figure out how to improve my future fics. I thank you for spending the time to read my fic and I hope you enjoy it. And also, being the slowpoke that I am, I realize the story (set during Christmas break) is a tad bit late by a good week or so, but it's still in time for the new years so

Edward sat on his bed, staring down at the small wrapped package cradled in his hands. _It's all done. I just need to somehow find a way to give this to him_ The young blonde thought to himself, running a finger along the length of the box and tracing the candy cane pattern decorating the smooth surface. The packaging itself was truly a work of art. A simple combination of rich, crimson wrapping paper tied off by a dazzling, golden bow. Edward rubbed his fingertips across the silky ribbon, letting his eyelids slip shut as he took in the soothing texture of the material. _I wonder if his lips are this soft…_The teen let his fingers play within the folds of the soft cloth, pausing when they brushed against the gift tag. He broke from his trance, gazing down upon the small, blank square of paper. This was just one of the several things he found himself unable to do; labeling Roy's name under 'To' and signing his own under 'from'. His bottom lip stuck up subconsciously in a small pout. It was only a Christmas gift, true, but to him this was more than just a demonstration of the holiday's tradition. It was a show of affection, a sign of fondness, a display of endearment that would ultimately reveal his love for the ebony-eyed colonel.

To think back on it, even Edward himself couldn't remember when all this had started. When he thought hard, all he could recall from his memory banks were the countless arguments they'd had and the handful of fights that had broken out between them. But sandwiched amongst the constant bickering and banter were the moments of comfort the older man had given him when he had nowhere else to turn; the images of his eyes glittering with mirth when he teased Edward gently; the gentleness he bestowed upon the blonde when he was ill. Yes, how could he forget those unexpected moments of kindness the normally stoic man had shown? Maybe it was his regularly apathetic attitude or his nonchalant appearance that made these small things so unforgettable that they etched themselves in Edward's mind; he really didn't know. But one way or another, the young alchemist was certain that at some point in time, a spark of affection for the man had sprang to life in his heart and time had only helped to nurture it in becoming a burning bonfire. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the flame would be beyond his control. Being the straightforward teen that he was, Edward had already decided that he would confess to the colonel. The only problem was how to do it without receiving too much damage in case…things turned nasty. He eventually came to the conclusion that he'd try something subtle, which lead to the present sitting in his lap. A present with no card and a blank tag.

Edward sighed in defeat. This was getting him nowhere. To top everything off, he hadn't even figured out exactly _how_ he was planning on giving this gift to the colonel. Approach him with a cheerful "Hi there, I've got something for you" and shove the package at him the next time they met? No, that was much too direct. He wanted to be honest about this, but he never said he wanted publicity. Plus, how could he be sure that the colonel wouldn't share the gift with someone else?

The blonde's serenade was interrupted as the door swung open to reveal a hulking suit of armor.

"Nii-san, why aren't you at the hot spring?"

"Ah, just-I was uh, j-just thinking…" Edward stammered, the beginnings of a blush creeping into his cheeks.

"What about?" Al questioned good-naturedly, creaking his way into their hotel room and opening their trunks to unpack.

"Nothing of importance," the elder sibling muttered, hastily tucking Roy's present behind his pillow. "They were only random thoughts."

"Mmm," Al hummed as he removed one of Ed's coats from the suitcase and hung it up in the closet. "Well, why don't you go take a dip in the hot springs? It'll be relaxing." He said, "No use sulking in here."

"I wasn't sulking!" Edward protested, the blush inching towards his ears.

"I know, I know." Al smiled knowingly, "But we came on this outing to enjoy ourselves so run along now!" He turned and waved his arms at the blonde in a "shooing" motion.

Edward made a face before hopping off the bed and jogging out the door with a towel slung around his neck.

A laugh resonated throughout the suit of armor as Al shook his head and resumed his task of hanging up the clothes, Edward's dilemma not at all lost on him.

Roy sighed, leaning heavily against one of the rock slabs bordering the hot spring. _Outings are nice, _he thought to himself, swishing his hand in the water. _But it certainly looks like some of us didn't come here for the therapeutic springs…_Roy concluded lightly, watching Havoc and Hughes trying to wrestle Black Hayate into an adjacent spring. The poor thing was whining and scrabbling frantically at dry land while his two tormentors each took hold of a hindquarter. Apparently, the creature didn't like his baths overly hot.

"Please! Havoc, let him go! And stop yanking on his tail like that, Hughes! You'll hurt him!" Feury had come to the canine's defense, swinging a towel at the two cackling mischief-makers.

Roy couldn't help but break out in a laugh at the ridiculous sight. This Christmas outing he organized had turned out better than he thought. Two weeks ago when the idea had first crossed his mind, he was dubious about carrying out those plans but Hawkeye's encouragement had driven out any clouds of doubt in him. Now, as he lay comfortably soaking up to his chest in hot water, he wondered how he could have ever doubted himself. He was The Great Roy Mustang, after all. But even The Great Roy Mustang had his secrets. Asides from wanting to give everyone a warm (literally) holiday and a chance to relieve the constant pressure and stress they experienced from work, Roy held his own hidden motives that were known to no other.

Maybe it was the never-ending paperwork finally getting to him, or the lack of cheer around the military headquarters, or maybe it was just himself, but lately he'd been peculiarly restless. Late-night bar trips with Hughes and Havoc could no longer quench his inquietude. He'd even lost interest in women. By the time he realized that, Roy knew that something was seriously wrong with him. He'd gotten sick of many things in the past, but never of poking fun at Fullmetal or courting ladies. Those were, what he liked to call, the necessities of life. He'd inquired advice from Hughes and Havoc on a particular nighttime rendezvous, but neither had offered much help. The sandy-haired man had brushed off Roy's deviant attitude with a shrug and an easy-going "There's always a first time for everything." Hughes was even less helpful when he smiled smugly and whispered "maybe you're craving for a family" in the colonel's ear. That had sent chills running down Roy's spine for the remainder of the night. At one point, the onyx-haired man had even considered pleading with Riza for some sort of a clue to his problem but had fiercely kicked that thought to the corner of his mind when he had a suspicious feeling that she'd probably mockingly applaud him and congratulate him on "making his first true step into manhood."

Roy slouched lower into the pool of warm, clear liquid. Up to now, he still wasn't sure what exactly had lured him out into the wilderness, but he _did_ know what had driven him out of the city-life he was so accustomed to; Clarice. To put it shortly, some women were too persistent for their own good. She was the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Roy first met her, like most of the women he dated, in a bar. He was intrigued by her thick, blonde curls and surprisingly tanned skin. Girls tended to keep their skin tone a pale, milky white but she was as smooth as melted caramel and looked stunning in that hue. Also unlike most other women, Clarice had made the first move. _Bold, _Roy had thought at the moment, amused. She had a strong personality and wasn't too hard to get along with. Vivacious yet elegant at the same time, she was a perfect mesh of excitement and mystery. Roy had believed her to be practically perfect.

Ironically though, it only took the colonel a month to reconsider his initial impression of the seductive lady. Soon, the charm of her fat, golden ringlets wore off on him and her immaculate creamy complexion grew old. But what truly drew the last straw for the ebony-eyed man was not the repetitiveness of her exterior appearance. Two things that Roy could not handle in women were clingy-ness and over-dominance. Clarice was both. At first, Roy let her steer him around just to see what she could do. But things got out of hand when he came to discover exactly how much of a spoiled princess she truly was. The girl wasn't very bright in the classroom, nor did her logic follow reason. When she wanted something, she wouldn't stop until she got it and one of those things was to whip Roy into the man of her dreams. After a few weeks, the colonel had to call it quits as he could no longer endure the starched, stiff suits she stuck him in, the awkward family dinners with her parents, and the forced polite manner in which he was always commanded to treat her with. What really pushed Roy's buttons though, was the way she doused her affection on him; too much in too short a time. A woman like her was simply asking to be dumped for good, even if she was a charming beauty.

_Maybe I need someone different,_ Roy pondered, blowing steam from his face. _Maybe I just need someone…special…_

"Oy, Edward! Over here!"

Roy was snapped out of his reverie by Havoc's cheerful call and he looked up to see one Edward Elric carefully jogging his way around several springs towards the sandy-haired man, clad in nothing more than a thin towel hugging his slender hips. Roy's gaze wandered over the blonde's body. _He's muscular yet lithe…_the colonel noted to himself.

"What took you so long?" Havoc asked, wadding towards Edward.

"Nothing." He replied, "I just woke up from a nap." The teen looked away, scratching behind one ear. His attention wandered over to Roy, who was lazily soaking in a spring ten feet away, but quickly averted his eyes when the colonel caught his gaze. The blonde ducked his head, trying to hide the soft pink tint in his cheeks.

Roy tilted his head curiously. _Did he just…blush?_

"HEY, EDWARD!" Havoc yelled, giving the blonde's ankle a hard poke and startling him out of his thoughts. "Have you been listening to me? I asked if you were going to the Christmas party tonight."

"Oh, sure." Edward smiled nervously, "Where did you say it's being held?"

Havoc rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Sixth floor dining room at seven. We were contemplating a bar, but Riza didn't approve of underage drinking." The sandy-haired man sighed. "Well, anyway, jump in the water and get your head out of the clouds. Don't turn into a duplicate of _that _one over there." Havoc whispered, jerking his head in Roy's direction. "He's been lounging around lost in thought all day."

Edward gave him a bewildered nod, and began trotting away.

"Hey, where're you going?" Havoc called out after him.

"Jumping in the water, like you suggested." Edward replied, pointing at an adjacent spring.

The older man cocked an eyebrow at him. "Over there? Why not join us?"

"Maybe later," The blonde laughed nervously as he tried to scoot inconspicuously away. But apparently, his colleague had other plans in mind.

Havoc jumped out of the spring and made a start towards Edward, a devilish grin beginning to spread across his lips. The teen gulped, hastening his scooting. _I don't like that look on his face…I really don't like it…_Edward watched in horror as Havoc broke out into a sprint for him. _Okay, time to scram!_ The teen turned around and ran for his life. The two of them scrambled and slipped their way around the pools of steaming water, looping around spring after hot spring with Havoc hot on Edward's tail.

"What's wrong, Edo?" Havoc yelled as he chased after the fleeing blonde. "Is the widdle Eddie-kins a little shy?"

Edward felt a muscle pop at his temple. "I AM _NOT_ SHY" He bellowed back, chancing a glance at his pursuer who was cackling like a hyena. But the teen watched Havoc's grin slip off his face as he pointed towards Edward's lower body and mouthed one word-"towel".

_Oh shit-_Edward's eyes went wide as he dropped his gaze and his hand shot out to seek the furry piece of cloth that _should_ be covering him from waist to thighs. To his relief, his fingers brushed the fuzzy material, but he never saw the black blur that shot out in front of him. Edward only felt something large and shaggy collide against his legs, throwing him off balance. He skidded and felt his feet leave the slippery floor as a pool of hot water rushed up to meet him. Edward squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, waiting for the inevitable impact, the sting of scorching water biting his skin, the numbness of the water's blow…but it never came. Instead, he felt a pair of strong arms catch him and a sturdy chest cushion his fall as he and his mysterious savior sank into the water. Edward squirmed and shifted his head, trying to fight his way up to the surface. To his surprise, he felt soft hair tickling his nose and something soft being pressed to his lips as the arms around him tightened their grip. _Don't worry, everything will be fine,_ They seemed to say. _Just hold onto me until then…_

Edward felt his heart doing a painful drum roll against his ribs and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his savior's shoulders. The other man winced when he felt Edward's nails dig into his flesh, but he didn't pull away. Edward felt a soothing hand rubbing his back gently and massaging away the knot of fear in his chest. He relaxed against the strong chest and wound his arms around the other man's neck. Just before the two entangled males surfaced, Edward felt a soft nibble on his lip that he thought felt almost affectionate. But the feeling didn't last when the blonde emerged from the water and opened his eyes to meet onyx orbs. His own golden ones widened in shock.

"You…" He breathed in horror, before noticing that their lips were mere inches away from each other. Edward clapped a hand over his mouth at the realization and, as quickly as his body would allow, splashed his way to shore and ran, pushing a few onlookers out of his way. He didn't stop until he reached his room and flung himself down on his bed. He lay there panting, feeling a flood of emotions run through him; fear, horror, shame, anger, pain, until it died down to a dull ache in the pit of his stomach.

_How…how could this have happened?_ Edward thought, clenching his fist in the bed sheets. _What would he think of me? What would everyone else think of me?_ He threw himself face down onto his pillow to muffle a broken sob. His fingers brushed against something cool and smooth. Edward lifted his head up and pulled the object out from behind his pillow. Roy's present. It sat in his hand, innocently waiting to be given to its new owner. For a moment, Edward contemplated chucking the wrapped box across the room but he never so much as lifted it up before he broke down sobbing.

Back at the hot springs, Roy felt a strange twinge in his chest as he slowly got out of the spring and pattered numbly to the showers.

"……" Roy was at a lost for words. The images of Edward scrabbling at him in the water were branded into his mind. He hadn't intended any of this to happen. _How was I supposed to know that he'd be flying into my spring?! _But no…when he did realize, hadn't he jumped up to catch the boy? Hadn't he felt something stir inside him? _What was it…_Roy stood in the shower stall, trying to put his finger on it. _I'd looked up and saw him falling…he had his eyes squeezed shut…I've never seen that expression before. It made him look…almost vulnerable. Is that why I caught him?_ Roy paused, running the incident over and over in his head.

_Tangled arms and legs. Hands clutching at his shoulder. Nails digging into them. Blonde head buried into the hollow between his neck and shoulder…kiss…the kiss…the-_

"Oh shit." Roy breathed hoarsely. _I kissed him, I remember now. Ohshitohshitohshit._ _Everything was okay up until I did that but why did I do that?_ _Why did I-_

Roy's clasped his hand over his mouth. _Oh. my. goodness. What if they saw? It was white water splashing everywhere but what if…what if-_

The door to the showers creaked open. The sound of pattering feet echoed down the stalls.

Roy smacked his forehead in frustration. _What the hell was I thinking? I'm so screwed, I am so so screwed if they-_

The curtain to Roy's shower stall was ripped back mercilessly. Roy's heart skipped a beat as he spun to see-

"Are you gonna stand in there forever?" A tousle-haired Havoc grinned at him.

Roy just stared in a stupor. _No, no, no, don't tell me he knows-_

"Hey, we know a falling Edward probably knocked out half your remaining brain cells but moping in a shower stall isn't gonna bring 'em back." Havoc laughed, giving Roy's shoulder a playful punch. "God knows that boy is no feather." He winked, and turned to leave.

_What….? Does that mean…he doesn't know…_

"Though, you two did look like you were having a bit of a scrabble in the water," Havoc mused, stopping and scratching his head.

Roy's breath caught in his throat. _No…nonono…_

"Hope you didn't give him any serious injuries!" Havoc chuckled, "He looked pretty traumatized when he ran off…" The tawny-haired man trailed off as he pattered into an adjacent shower stall.

Roy gave a sigh of relief as the sound of a running shower reached his ears, marveling at his unbelievable luck. He stepped out of the stall and proceeded to get dressed.

As Roy left the showers, he came across Al who was trying to smuggle a tawny kitten into the hotel, and feeling a rush of relief he smiled and waved at the friendly suit of armor.

Al pushed open his hotel door by a crack and peeked inside. The room appeared to be empty at first, but it didn't take long for him to notice the small bundle of blankets on Edward's bed. Cupping the mewling kitten in his large metal hand, Al carefully picked his way through an obstacle course of scattered clothing. He plopped down on Edward's bed next to the bundle and gently placed the kitten on the mass of blankets. Al watched in quiet amusement as the feline investigated its surroundings. It batted at the lumpy surface it had been set on and a careless step took it tumbling down onto the pillow. It got back on its furry little feet unsteadily, eager for a good romp when a golden braid poking out from underneath the flap of a blanket caught its attention. The little ball of fur reared playfully before pouncing on the plait and swiping curiously at it.

Al chuckled as the bundle of blankets twitched and shifted, falling away to reveal one puffy-eyed Edward rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Al sighed. "You could've at least changed into your pajamas. I'd hung them up in the closet for you."

"Mrrrn" was all Edward managed to reply as he plucked the dangling kitten off his braid and handed it to Al. "Dun't wanna."

"At least you feel better now, right? Nothing a good tantrum and sobbing fest couldn't cure." Al teased.

"Who was sobbing!" Edward snapped. "And I didn't throw a tantrum." He mumbled, looking away.

"Oh? I suppose the clothes just felt like scattering themselves today then." Al chuckled.

Edward stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, trying to gather his blankets and huddle under them once more but Al wasn't about to let that happen.

"Oh, no you don't," He sung cheerfully as he dropped the kitten on Edward's head. "I need to have something clarified and now is a good time to do it." Al caught the kitten as slipped off his brother's ponytail. "I heard there was a commotion at the springs." This was enough to stop Edward in his tracks.

"You supposedly took a tumble into Roy's spring and he caught you, or so I've heard. But there's more to it than just that if it upset you enough to come back and throw a tantrum."

The elder sibling remained silent with his back to Al, though his shoulders gave a small shake. A sniffle could be heard escaping the blonde.

"Nii-san, tell me what happened." Al whispered, rubbing his back soothingly. "You know it breaks my heart to see you cry."

Edward turned and gave Al one forlorn look before leaping into his arms, sobbing. He pressed his forehead against the cold surface of Al's armor and cried.

"I-It was terrible. I fell into the w-water and Roy c-caught me, but we…we…" Edward broke off and sobbed harder.

"It's okay, tell me what happened." Al whispered to him, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"W-we kissed…" Edward whimpered. Al's hand stopped in its motion. "I d-don't know what he thought of it, but w-w-what if…what if _they_ saw? T-Then it'd b-be all over…" The small blonde went silent against Al, but his body was still shaking.

Al chuckled and gave his brother a warm hug. "Well, if that's what you were worrying about, I can assure you that no one saw."

Edward's head snapped up to look at Al. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Al laughed. "I'd asked nearly everyone there. So no more crying, okay?" Al reached up and wiped away a tear on Edward's cheek. The elder sibling nodded and hastily dried his face.

"Now, go get yourself cleaned up and ready for the party." Al called out as he got up to leave. "Oh, and before I forget-" He stopped and fished out a small key from within the many hiding places of his armor. "Merry Christmas." Al chimed, dropping it in Edward's lap. At his brother's puzzled look, he replied, "Roy's room key. Would be useful for you to drop off your present, no?"

Edward's eyes widened at Al's reply. "How did you-"

"I nicked it from his coat pocket while he was in the showers." He said with an air of innocence. Edward looked down at the key hesitantly.

"He looked quite cheerful when I met him at the elevators." Al reassured his brother.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"_Yes,_ now go shower!" Al laughed as he backed out the door. He didn't need to stay to know that his Nii-san was smiling like a kid and probably jumping up and down on the bed in celebration.

Edward whistled to himself as he braided his hair in the bathroom. A nice hot shower had washed away all the previous unpleasant feelings. He watched his reflection in the mirror, blurred by the steam from the hot water. His eyes carefully examined his lean torso, roaming down the well-built chest and hard stomach to those slender hips hugged by a fuzzy towel. _Not bad_, he thought to himself, tying off his ponytail and walking out to the bedroom. Edward pulled open the closet and began perusing the clothes hanging inside. He wanted to go with something warm but avoid being bundled like a marshmallow.

_Hmmm…ah._ A glance of white caught his eye. He reached up and pulled out a soft, white turtleneck sweater. _Funny, I don't remember owning this,_ Edward thought as he pulled the sweater over his head after adding a tank top. _Then again, I don't dress for festivities much anyway._ He straightened up and regarded himself in the full-length mirror across the room. _Not bad at all,_ He thought to himself. The sweater was a slim fit. The material was soft but it hugged his every contour and curve. The sleeves were a bit long, as they almost covered his knuckles, but otherwise, it was a perfect fit. Edward fetched a pair of tight black pants and finished his dressing with a sleek, black belt buckled around his hips.

He strode across the room and picked up Roy's present, ready to leave. But as he approached the door, Edward stopped and walked back to his suitcase. He fished around inside before pulling out a crimson, satin ribbon. He removed the hair tie holding together his ponytail and wound the ribbon around it, tying it off in a bow. _For good luck,_ He smiled, and retrieving the present once more, he left the room with Roy's room key swinging around his finger.

Up in the sixth floor dining room, Roy was nervously awaiting Edward's arrival. He'd felt that even though he couldn't explain his own actions today, the boy deserved an apology from him. They'd already gotten unbelievably lucky in that no one had suspected what really happened in the water and Roy wanted to keep it that way. Subconsciously, the raven-haired colonel reached for his sixth glass of wine. His mind was buzzing with what to say to Edward and barely heard Hughes telling him to stop before he became completely intoxicated. He couldn't bring his eyes away from the dining room door, waiting for impending doom. A flash of blonde hair and furry white appeared before the door but was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Roy sat up and watched intently for a few moments before slumping back down and downing his glass. _Must have been my imagination…_

Edward skipped past the sixth floor dining room door. He'd taken a glance inside and saw Roy sipping a glass of wine. _Good, _he though. _Stay where you are._ The little plastic tag attached to Roy's room key had read 604. That wasn't too far off from the dining room and Edward needed the obsidian-haired man to stay put. He quickly made his way to the room and checking to be sure that no one was around, he pulled out the key and opened the door.

The blonde stepped inside and let the door close behind him. _Now, where to leave it._ He wandered into the room, taking note of his surroundings. A few pieces of clothing scattered about the room. A coat thrown over the back of a chair and a pair of pants tossed carelessly onto the bed. Edward spotted the man's luggage in the corner of the room. _Hmm, nah._ He approached the bed and sat down on it, thinking of leaving the present next to Roy's pillow. He reached over to pull it aside but his fingers caressed something thin and smooth. The blonde shoved his hand underneath the pillow in curiosity and pulled out a sketchpad. _A sketch pad? I didn't know he could even draw so much as a stick figure._ He opened the pad and gasped. His eyes fell on a beautifully sketched image of a landscape. Turning the page, he found the sketch of an exotic flower. The next held the drawing of the ocean. Edward flipped through the pad and he began to notice that the sketches began to change from images of nature to people. A single person. A person that greatly resembled himself. In the last sketch, a beautiful angel was depicted in the drawing. Under close inspection, Edward realized that it was a picture of him again with dazzling wings. At the bottom of the page, there was a line of words…

Roy placed his empty glass down on the counter. He'd finished his twenty-third glass of wine and Edward was still nowhere to be found. His vision was beginning to blur and the floor seemed to be spinning upwards. He hiccuped. _Looks like he doesn't want to see me…_

Roy downed his twenty-fourth glass.

_Did I hurt him that much…?_

Twenty-fifth.

_I don't think he's going to show up at all tonight…_

Twenty-sixth.

_I guess…I guess I'll just have to find him myself later…_

Twenty-seventh.

_For now…I think…I'd better take a nap…I'm getting a little tired…_

Roy got up unsteadily from his seat and stumbled a little as he walked out the dining room's double doors and headed for his room.

"_If I ever saw an angel without wings, it has to be him_." Edward murmured, reading the small line of words at the bottom of the page. His mind was reeling with a million thoughts when he heard the door open and a voice express its confusion at the unlocked door.

"_Shit._" He muttered to himself as he rolled off the bed. He felt something weigh his arm down and looking down, he noticed that his sweater sleeve had snagged on the spiral, wire rim of Roy's sketchpad. "Crap, this is not good." Edward growled, ducking behind the bed and trying to untangle the pad from his sweater without ripping the delicate fabric. He heard the door click shut and a pair of shuffling feet approach the bedroom.

"_Come on,_" He whispered desperately, "Get _off_ already!" He yanked at the sketchpad but it only made it tangle up even more. The sound of the footsteps was getting closer. It came closer and closer to the bed, finally stopping right before it. The soft thump of a body hitting the mattress could be heard. Edward, still huddling on the floor, nearly had a heart attack.

_Please don't let him see me, please don't let him see me-_

The horrified blonde listened to the groaning of the springs as the body lying on the bed rolled over.

_Please don't let him see me, please don't let him see me-_

The body groaned and some shuffling could be heard.

_Please don't let him see me-_

Edward's blood ran cold when the pillow came tumbling down next to him and a voice could be heard wondering "Where did my sketchpad go…?"

_Please don't let him notice-_

More shuffling.

_Please, please, please-_

"Edward…? What are you doing in here?"

_I hate you, God._

"Hey, you have my sketchpad. Could I have it hic back?" Roy extended his hand to Edward.

"Uh, sure." The nervous blonde replied weakly. "You'll have to untangle it from my sweater first, though." He held up his arm to prove his point.

"Mmm." Roy mumbled. Edward climbed onto the bed and held out his arm as Roy began the task of removing the pad from his sweater. The room was silent and it wasn't long before it became uncomfortably quiet.

"The pictures," Edward muttered, for a lack of things to say.

"Hmm?"

"They're nice."

"Mmm."

"I didn't know you were so artistic."

"Most people don't." Roy replied. And with that, the silence began creeping back on them.

"You didn't show up at the party today." Roy said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Oh, uh, no. I guess not." Edward admitted, blushing. "But shouldn't you be more surprised as to why I'm here instead?"

"I couldn't care less." The elder man shrugged, finally pulling apart the sweater and the persistent sketchpad. "I thought…you were angry with me." He confessed.

"Angry?" Edward nearly laughed in disbelief, "How could I be angry with you if I came all this way to leave you a present?" Realizing what he'd said, the small blonde clapped his hand over his mouth, a blush coloring his cheeks in embarrassment.

Roy turned and saw the package lying on his bed. "This?" He questioned. Edward nodded, eyes downcast. The onyx-haired man slowly unwrapped the gift, taking care not to rip the wrapping paper as he peeled it off to reveal a milky white box. He opened it and beheld a pair of soft white, furry gloves nestled in a bed of tissue paper.

"I knitted them myself." Edward murmured, staring at the mattress.

"Why gloves?" Roy asked.

"Well, I thought they'd be a nice change from the ones you usually wore." Edward replied, a deep crimson spreading through his cheeks. "And an artist with such beautiful hands as your own need to protect them, right?" Edward chanced a glance at Roy through his lashes.

For a long moment, the older man couldn't find anything to say. He gently set down the box on his bedside table and tackled Edward down on the bed.

"Thank you…" He whispered, staring into the boy's auric orbs, their faces a mere inch away from each other. "I love them." He murmured before closing the gap between them. Roy pressed his lips against Edward's and was surprised to find the boy below him open his mouth in response. He quickly took advantage and slipped his tongue inside the blonde's sweet cavern, tasting him for the first time. He never realized before now, but he'd always had a special spot in his heart just for the boy. Today, he had been wondering if he needed something new, something different. Something different, yes, but definitely not new. Roy's tongue engaged in a loving dance with Edward's, both of their hands roaming the other's body. Roy felt the blonde's hands unbutton his coat and slip it off, then slowly starting on his shirt.

Roy wasn't planning on being beaten. He slipped his hands up Edward's sweater, running his fingers across his well-sculpted stomach. He quickly pulled the clothing off of the boy, momentarily breaking their kiss. He yanked off Edward's tank and tossed it to the floor and began nibbling his way down the blonde's neck, eliciting soft moans from him. Roy kissed his way down his stomach and slowly, he unbuckled Edward's belt. His fingers undid the button on his pants and he tugged down the zipper. Edward gasped, but it only encouraged Roy into yanking off the garment completely. He sat up and stared lovingly at the golden-eyed boy in all his naked glory.

"You're so beautiful…" He whispered huskily. "All this time I've been trying to draw you to perfection but now I finally realize how far I was from the real thing…"

Edward suddenly pulled himself up and lunged at Roy, knocking him flat on his back. He tore off the coat and shirt he'd unbuttoned and threw them to the floor. He teased the older man by letting his fingers dance across his naked belly before undoing the button on his pants. Edward threw the onyx-eyed colonel a lustful glance before he lowered his head, gently took the zipper between his teeth and pulled it down. Roy couldn't hold in a delighted gasp at Edward's actions. He pulled the boy on top of him and stared into his eyes. He reached up and pulled off the red ribbon holding Edward's braid together.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered.

"Merry Christmas to you too." The golden-haired beauty whispered back, smiling.

"I love you, Edward." Roy murmured.

"I love you too, Roy." Edward replied before leaning down for another passionate kiss.

Outside, the first snow of the year was beginning to fall.


End file.
